Aimless Escape
by selenehekate
Summary: No one understands the pressure he's under; no one gets how much he needs to just escape. Save, that is, for one smart girl with her head in the clouds... Oneshot. PD


_Aimless Escape_

The pressure was going to kill him; of this, he was sure. No matter how hard he tried, Draco was always under a constant pressure to do _better_: better in school, better at dueling, better at being a Slytherin... No matter what he did, it was never enough for his father. It was never enough for his _master_.

Or his future master, to be blunt. Because that was where the pressure all stemmed from, wasn't it? The Dark Lord... He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Defied... An immoral, single-minded man who did not tolerate failure of any kind... _He_ was the person who generated the constant, suffocating pressure. _He_ was the one who demanded that precious Lucius Malfoy's heir be the best student at Hogwarts. _He _was the one who threatened Draco with unspeakable torture if his impossible standards weren't met. It was because of him that Draco was so unhappy.

Though to be fair, it wasn't as though his proud father would ever _dare_ to stand up to his master. No, Lucius Malfoy wouldn't dream of relieving some of that stifling tension from his son's shoulders. Instead, he'd choose to push his son harder, to choke success out of him no matter what.

This was why Draco felt such a deep need to escape at times. He _needed_ to run, to flee from the constricting world that had been crafted for him. Yet even this wasn't possible. He could never retreat from his familial obligation permanently; they would never allow him to fail the Dark Lord and the Malfoy family name in such a way. They'd kill him before they'd alleviate some of the pressure.

So he settled, instead, for short escapes every now and then. When he could feel the walls closing in around him and the air grow thick with terror and strain, he'd slip out of the castle and onto the school grounds, convening at the edge of the Forbidden Forest. He'd be alone in the dark night with nothing but the trees to provide him any comfort, but he almost preferred it that way; at least there the strain of the Dark Lord's mandates couldn't reach him.

Except he wasn't alone on one warm March night when he escaped from the castle, though he didn't realize this until it was far too late. "Out for an evening stroll?" a light, dreamy voice said from behind him.

He jumped, his wand already drawn and pointed towards the younger girl. A small smile graced her lips as her white blond hair shimmered in the moonlight. She didn't blink at the wand suddenly pointed at her face, but instead spoke once more. "You're a little edgy tonight, aren't you?"

Draco scowled and slipped his wand back inside his pocket, though he kept his fingers wrapped tightly around the end. "What do you want?"

"I just wanted to enjoy the stars," the girl said as she looked towards the sky. "It's a beautiful night. All of the nargles must be hidden away. They're allergic to the moon's rays, you know."

Draco quirked an eyebrow at the girl. "You're that Lovegood girl, right? The mad Ravenclaw?"

"I would hardly call me mad," she said, her eyes locked on a large willow tree off in the distance. "I believe I have a rather pleasant disposition. Not an angry one."

He frowned. "That wasn't what I meant."

"I'm aware," she said as she slowly began to move off towards the tree. "But I'm sure you wouldn't be out here alone is you weren't upset about something. Slytherins never go anywhere alone, after all. Therefore I'm willing to overlook your rudeness."

He watched as she laid her hands down upon the bark of the tree, her head tilting to the side. A helpless feeling began to build up inside him, but he tried desperately to push it down and replace it with annoyance instead. "It's none of your business."

"What isn't?" she asked, her eyes still locked on the tree.

"What's bothering me. You have no right to know."

"Then it's a good thing I wasn't asking," she said, as she finally looked up at him with her big, blue eyes. She broke the gaze and began walking off deeper into the forest. "Come along."

Draco blanched. "You want me to _follow_ you? Now I know you're mad!"

"Suit yourself," she said, slowly pushing her way through the trees.

His jaw twitched as he stared after her. He wasn't used to people just walking away from him; it wasn't right. "Hold on," he snarled, crashing through the underbrush after her. "Where, in the name of _Merlin_, do you think you're going?"

"I have no idea," she said, that same idealistic smile drifting across her face again. "But that's half of the fun, isn't it? Wandering about with no real path."

"That's lunacy," Draco snapped back with a roll of his eyes. "If you don't have a clear destination in mind, then what's the point? What good will ambling about the forest do? You won't accomplish anything."

She looked at him once more, her hypnotizing, big blue eyes drawing him in... "Sometimes, it can be nice to walk about aimlessly. I find that it helps me to relax. If I don't have anywhere I have to be or anything I have to do, then I can just be me for a little while. I can escape and wander wherever I want to. I can be as aimless as I please." She paused and held out her hand to him, a genuine smile across her face. "Now, then. Are you coming?"

There was something about Luna Lovegood that he could identify with. In that moment, Draco felt that even though Luna knew nothing about his specific situation, she understood him better than anyone else ever had. Without hesitation, he took her hand.

* * *

_This was written for the 2012 Hogwarts Games: Hurdles 100-1000. I hope you like it! I've never written Luna, or Draco/Luna, or potential Death Eater angst before, so this was a little weird, but fun nonetheless! Please review it and tell me what you think! I'd love some criticism. Thanks!_

_Cheers!_

_-Selene_


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